Joint for collapsible containers



Aprilsc, 1946. P. ZALKIND 2,999,599

JOINT FOR COLLAPSIBLE CONTAINERS Original Filed Feb. 28, 1942 umili@ Y um mamm- ATTORNEY.

Patented Apr. 30, 1946 2,399,590 JOINT FOR COLLAPSIBLE 'CONTAINERS Philip Zalkind, New York, N. Y.

Application February 28 1942, serial No. 432,168,

ch 1s a division of application .Serial No.

4 Claims. (Cl. 217-71) This application is a division oi my application Serial No. 432,768, led February 28, 1942, which in turn the construction of containers of this type is board,

in any event were manufactured and sold with each of the members thereof independent, it thus being necessary for the user to himself perform the manufacturing operation in assembling the containers made therefrom.

A primary object of the the tively snif materiau.

Another object of the provision of a lock joint present invention is the face-to-surface relation, in angular relation or in substantially the same plane.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a hinged joint between a pair -of sheets or panels, said joint forming a lock joint when the sheets or panels are placed in predetermined angular relation to each other.

These and many other objects of my invention will become apparent in the following description and drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a View in perspective particularly, to a lockl which is available for,

between panels of stiff showing the face of the board 4|. This is even manner in which my invention may be embodied in a completed casing.

'Figure 2 isI a view slightly modified form tion.

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3 3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an end View taken along line 4 4 of 'Fig-ure 2.

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the members of Figure 2 rotated to another position.

Figure 6 is a view in perspective showing a modification of the construction of 'Figure 2,

Figure 7 is la cross-sectional view taken on line 1 1 of Figure 6.

Figure `8 is a cross-sectiona1 view taken on line 8-8 of Figure '6.

Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view showing another position of the members of Figure 6.

The principle on which the present joint clein perspective showing a of the joint of my inven- 423,770, iiled February 28, 1942, now Patent No.

The type vof joint vshown in Figure 1 may be utilizedin various ways.

The sheet 4I also has projections 41a, 41a spaced .from each other by recesses 48a. The projections of eachsheet register the recesses of the adjacent sheet.

The sheets may be interconnected in the manner shown in Figures 2-4, inclusive, by wires, staples, or the like. Thus, each staple may take the form of thestaple 5 as shown, particularly, in Figure 3.

A leg 53, von the upper side, is clinched over into the yupper, surface of the board 40, andaleg 54, on the underside, is bent over into the underrsurmore clearly seen in Figure 4, where these ily be traced.

All of the staples 50 have a similar form, except that alternate staples have their upper ends extending through the projections on the upper boards, while the staples between them have their lower ends extending through the projections on the lower boards.

The bend line occurs along a line defined by the dotted line 60 of Figure 2 which runs across the bases of the recesses 48 and, hence, across the bases of the projections 41. The manner in which this line extends through'the two sheets is also shown by the black dot 60 of Figure 3.

When the sheets 40 and 4| are rotated about to the position shown in Figure 5, since the line of rotation is necessarily around the line 60, the staple will be bent backwardly in the manner shown in Figure 5.

The projections 41 will enter into the opposite recesses 48 in the adjacent board to form an efficient lock-joint, and they will be maintained in position by the fact that the staple extends from one board to the other and is held in place by the projection 41 pressing against that portion thereof which extends along the base of the recess.

In all the constructions utilizing a lock-joint of the present form, the bend line of the sheets is along the line where the sheets meet. That is, where the sheets are laid out in a single plane, then their meeting edges are the forward edges of the projections which, of course, are spaced with relation to each other.

When the sheets are laid in face-to-face relation and are to be unfolded into open position, then the bend line is along the bases of the projections or the bases of the recesses, and the projections extend beyond the bend line. In such cases, the projections (or tongues) should preferably be of equal length in order that the corner formed, when the sheets are unfolded, should be a trim, flush corner.

In appropriate cases, the projections of one sheet or panel may be made longer than the projections of the other to provide a series of extending fingers when the panels are rotated to normal relation, which may be used for interlocking purposes, with, for instance, similar projections from another container.

In Figure 6, I have shown a slightly modified form of the construction of Figure 2 where a slightly different type of staple or wire stitch is used. l

In this case, as shown, particularly, in Figures 6 and 1, the wire stitch or staple 80 thereof has a length 8| which extends over the projection at the base thereof, and has two legs-82 and 83, each of which extend down the side of the projection 41, over which it passes, then down along the side of the projection 41a in the sheet below, and then is bent below this projection and is provided with a length 85 which enters into the projection 41a on the underside.

In this case, again, the bend line is .along the line 60, indicated by the dotted line 50' of Figure 6, or by the dot |50 in Figures 8 and 9.

The staples or wire stitches 80 serve to interconnect the sheets at the edges defined by the projection and recess (or groove) arrangement. The projection and recess arrangement now operates in, and has exactly the same function as, the projection andrecess arrangement of Figure '1.

elements may read- "15 lstering with recesses in When the sheets and 9| are now unfolded from the position shown in Figure 8, to the position shown in Figure 9, the staple bends at the line 60 to the position shown in Figure 9, the projections in each sheet enter into the registering recesses in the adjacent sheet, and an eflicient lock-joint is formed.

In Figure 1, I have illustrated one way in which the present invention may be utilized in a container. The container, here, is shown as having a top wall 40, side walls 4| and |0|, and a bottom wall |02.

The construction at the meeting edges of walls 4|) and 4|, and at the meeting edges of walls |0| and |02, is that shown in Figure 2. The construction of Figure 6 may, of course, be used at these joints.

The joint between walls ||l| and 40 is formed by a metallic strip ||0 which is secured by prongs to the outer surface of wall 48 and to the inner surface of wall |0|.

The inner edge of wall 40, serves as a predetermining bend line which determines the area of bend of the metallic strip ||0. Thus, when the container is set up for use, the diagonally opposite corners have a lock joint formation, while the other diagonally opposite corners have a butt joint, secured, however, by the metallic strip ||0.

'Ihe container may be reinforced and have members secured thereto, as shown in my Patents Nos. 2,118,011, 2,233,906, 2,210,019 and 2,245,026.

In a preferred construction utilizing all of the lock-joint formations herein set forth, a container may be formed, such as that shown in Figure l, where the lock-joints, similar to the lock-joints of Figure 2, may be used at the places where they are shown.

While in the foregoing I have shown the utili- Zation of metallic strips for interconnecting adjacent panels or Walls and while I have shown the use of staples or wire stitches for this purpose, it is obvious that many other connecting means may be used. Thus, for instance, especially with respect to the construction of Figures 2 and 6, actual hinges may be used between the adjacent panels, the axial line of the hinge or hinges being along the line 60.

Further, in certain cases it may not be necessary to form the recesses in the adjacent sheets so that these recesses project entirely through the sheets. The edges of the sheets may be compressed to form recesses extending partly therethrough, and the projections may then be so formed as to register with these partial recesses in the same mannel` as has been previously described.

In appropriate cases glue may be placed at the meeting surfaces of the lock joint prior to folding up so that the joint when formed may be even firmer.

Many other forms in be utilized should now be in the art. Accordingly, not by the specific disclosures the appended claims.

I claim:

1. As an article of manufacture, a collapsible container having a pair of adjacent walls, a hinge connection between said walls, said walls being rotatable about said hinge connection to a predetermined angular relation, adjacent edges of said adjacent walls having alternate projections and recesses, the projections from one edge ,reg-

the opposite edge, said which my invention may obvious to those skilled I prefer to be bound, herein, but only by projections and recesses interlocking with each other when said walls are rotated to said predetermined angular relation, said Walls in the collapsed condition of said container extending in surface to surface engagement with each other; said hinged connection comprising a mem-ber secured to one of said walls passing through the base of a recess in said wall and secured to said other `wall at the base of a projection thereof.

2. As an article of manufacture, a collapsible container having a pair of adjacent walls, a hinge connection between said Walls, said Walls being rotatable about said hinge connection to collapsed condition of said container extending in surface to surface engagement with each other, said hinged connection comprising a member secured to one of said walls at the base of a projection thereof passing over the adjacent projection in the other Wall and secured to the next adjacent projection in said one wall.

.3. As an article of manufacture, a pair of panels in face to face arrangement, an edge of one panel being co-terminous with an adjacent edge of the other panel, a hinge connection beand recesses interlocking with each other when said panels are rotated to said predetermined angular relation, said hinged connection comprising a member secured to one of said panels passing through the base of a recess in said panel and secured to said other panel at the base of a projection thereof.

4. As an article of manufacture, a collapsible container having a pair of adjacent Walls, a hinge connection between said walls, said walls being rotatable about said hinge connection to a predetermined angular relation, adjacent edges of said adjacent walls having alternate projections and recesses, the projections from one edge registering with recesses in the opposite edge, said projections and recesses interlocking with each other When said Walls are rotated to said predetermined angular relation, said walls in the collapsed condition of said container extending in surface to surface engagement with each other; said hinged connection comprising a member secured to one of said walls at the base of a projection thereof, passing through the base of an adjacent recess in said wall and engaging the other wall at the base of a projection thereof.

PHILIP ZALKIND. 

